Skinny Love
by Sophia-the-fangirl
Summary: Skinny Love: two who love each other but won't admit it. Hermione is back at Hogwarts for her seventh year... Without Harry or her boyfriend, Ron. Draco Malfoy is back as well, but he's... changed. Told from a dual point of view. Dramoine and some Romoine. Rated T to be safe.


Chapter 1- Hermione  
Tell Harry good luck cleaning out Grimmuald Place, and thank your mother for the sweater. It's perfect for the fall weather here! Love, Hermione.  
Hermione ties the letter to the Weasley's private owl and he flies away. She had returned to Hogwarts for her seventh year this past August... without Harry or Ron. It was kind of lonely, seeing as how she had just started going out with Ron, but the letters back and forth made her feel better.  
She begins to walk from the Owlrey to the common room when she runs into another returning seven-year with white-blonde hair and a set of Slytherin robes.  
"Hello, Draco." She says to her old tormentor. He had lost his status as a betraying Death Eater when he explained to his fellow Slytherins that his parents had threatened to disown him if he didn't join. Not to mention the fact that his aunt was a crazy bitch that had tortured Hermione for the better part of an hour one time. Word spread through the whole school, and eventually the whole Wizarding World knew that Draco Malfoy was a good-guy forcibly turned bad.  
"Hermione." He answers tightly. She noticed that he hadn't thrown any profanity at her for the first time in seven years.  
"What? You aren't going to call me Granger anymore?"  
"I just..." He looks away for a minute, and Hermione can see that he became upset when he saw her. "I just didn't want any bad blood between us. I thought we'd had enough, and I was hoping we could clear the slate." The boy extends his hand.  
She hesitates. Is this guy for real? He had persecuted her for being Muggle-born for the longest time, and now he wanted a truce?  
To be honest, though, Hermione had lost her two good friends. She needed to talk to somebody during class; Harry and Ron had made her excel in chatty environments. She takes his hand. "Alright then. Truce."  
Chapter 2- Draco  
Draco pretends to study his arithmacy notes while the other Slytherins trickle from the common room to the bedrooms. In reality he couldn't think straight. He had liked Hermione Granger since he first met her, and they finally had a truce. This year was different for everyone; people knew the truth about his involvement with the Death Eaters, his classes were easy for the last year of Hogwarts, and the Potter/ Weasley duo wasn't going to stand in his way of befriending, maybe even courting, Hermione.  
Well, there was also the fact that she hated him. That was a minor setback though, something he convinced himself they could bypass with a bit of casual chitchat.  
The next day he was determined to talk to her. In Care of Magical Creatures, the Slytherins and Gryffindors were ordered to partner up for a field excercise. As usual, Hermione prepared herself to work alone, but the Draco made a bold move.  
He casually walks over to her. "Want to partner up?"  
She looks surprised. "Erm, sure. You sure you can handle Hippogriff hunting, after Third Year?"  
They share a laugh. Draco didn't think it was funny then that a giant animal had broken his arm, but looking back on it made the whole event seem comical.  
The two spend the whole of Hippogriff hunting talking about anything that came to their minds. Hermione was surprisingly easy to talk to, and Draco found that he could keep up with her detailed explanations. They didn't find any Hippogriffs- there probably weren't any on the grounds anyway- but the two still had a good time.  
Walking back to the castle, Hermione brings up a topic Draco never thought he'd hear her ask. "Do you still play Quidditch?"  
"Of course," he replies. "They said I could still be Seeker this year."  
She nods, probably fully aware that the Slytherins had a game against the Ravenclaws the next day. "I don't go to the games anymore, not since..." Her voice trails off.  
"I know. I'm sorry." He says quietly. The old team of Gryffindors was probably too full of dead people for her to handle. It was a staggering amount. They were always brave, but nobody thought they would be as brave as to die in battle.  
"I might go to the game tomorrow, even if it isn't my own house." She decides.  
They reach the part of the castle where they go their separate ways. "I hope you do, and I hope you cheer for us."  
"Maybe. Have a nice evening."  
"Goodbye."  
Chapter 3- Hermione  
The next few weeks were weird for Hermione. Besides the usual schoolwork, which wasn't a lot, she found herself talkin to Draco of all people in her free time. He really was a nice guy, maybe a but misunderstood, and she almost forgot why they hated each other for so long.  
The two went to Hogsmeade the first week it was available for students. Not many people were there on account of the Quidditch match (Ravenclaw against Hufflepuff), so they took advantage of the quieter tables at The Three Broomsticks.  
They spent a portion of their day talking at their small table. It was rather easy to switch topics; Hermione discovered that she had a lot in common with the Slytherin.  
While walking back to school at the end of the day, Draco surprised her with a question.  
"Do you think we could see each other again soon?"  
The question kind of shocked her. Sure, Hermione liked spending time with him. But did he actually like her like that? The way he asked it made it obvious enough that he did. The feeling was...mutual.  
"I'd love to."  
Chapter 4- Hermione  
The first part of the date wasn't the important part. Sure, ice skating on a lake in the Forbidden Forest was fun. It kind of reminded her of their relationship. It was dangerous and, well, for the most part forbidden, but at the same time it was so enticing and she couldn't stay away from the thrill.  
The second part happened on the walk back. The sun was threatening the two students to leave them in utter darkness, but Draco kept his wand out for extra light. They mostly walked in silence, until he posed an interesting question.  
"Do you miss them? Potter and Weasley, I mean."  
She pondered the question for a moment. "I suppose it feels like they've gone on a holiday, and that they'll be back the next week. Except that feeling lasts for more than a week, and I'm sure they'd freak if they knew I was spending time with you."  
He nods slowly. "It's weird, not squabbling with them every day. But I rather like the trade-off: I get to ice skate with the prettiest girl in the school!"  
She stops and turns to face him. They were walking behind the Quidditch field now; no chance anyone could see them Bach here. "Draco, what are you trying to tell me?"  
He smiles tht coy, trademark Slytherin smile and playfully teases her. "Don't act like you don't understand, Granger."  
They simultaneously shift closer to each other. "Oh yeah? Why don't you make me understand."  
All at once he pulled her closer and kissed her. And she kissed him back! It was undoubtedly the weirdest, and yet greatest, feelings Hermione has ever experienced. They broke apart and stared at each other, not believing what they had done. Draco looked embarrassed by his bold move; she was sure she looked like a tomato from all her blushing.  
"I-um, I, I have to-" he started. She leaned in again and silenced him with a second kiss.  
"I didn't hate it." Hermione admitted afterward.  
"Neither did I."  
The two walked back to the castle, hand-in-hand, agreeing to keep their undeniable love a secret.  
Chapter 5- Draco  
Of all the things he could have done! Why did he kiss her? Of course it was wonderful; it's all he had wanted to do since first year!  
But she was dating Weasley, one of the two reasons as to why he hadn't made a move on her until now. And Potter positively hates him, and the feeling was mutual. What would he do if he found out?  
They had agreed to only meet in secret, and to never tell anyone about their deeply-rooted feelings for each other. It was hard for him to keep these laws, for he wished to speak of his love for her from the tallest spires of this old castle. But the scandal of it all! It did feel good to participate in something on the sly; that was kind of Draco's specialty.  
He met with her throughout the school year in private. They talked about anything, did schoolwork together, and even participated in what most teenagers were thought to participate in at one time or another.  
By the end of the year Draco had it all figured out. He was going to become a successful banker; that part was planned for him by his parents long ago. Hermione would probably become a Ministry worker, and the two would be together in public. Most wizards would think it was for publicity, and they would let them believe it. He was rushing to tell her when they met, but she had a sad, remorseful look in her eyes. Uh-oh.  
"I've been thinking," she started, resting her head in his lap. "I've been deceitful to my boyfriend back home. Ron has been nothing but supportive this whole time, and here I am, running around behind his back with someone else. I'm sorry Draco, and I really do love you, but this ant go on any longer."  
"Hermione, listen. I have the future all figured out. Our future-" his voice faltered at that last part.  
"No, I can't hear any of these plans. I know somewhere out there, if the parallel universe theories are true, you and I ae living happily ever after. It's just that I've already promised my happily ever after to someone else."  
And with that she walked away. Out of Draco's life. Forever.  
His love.


End file.
